Exercising is well known as a basic need for maintaining a healthy life. A recent trend in fitness is known as functional training. This type of training allows an individual to grasp one or more handles of an exercise machine and press or pull in a motion defined by the user. This motion can reproduce sport specific movements of an athlete or reproduce everyday movements of an individual. User defined movements with resistance will engage numerous stabilizer and major muscles and help an individual achieve total body strength conditioning and overall better health.
One type of exercise machine used to perform functional training is an adjustable cable column. Typically, an adjustable cable column has a cable end with a handle assembly attached which can be pressed or pulled by a user. The cable end exits a swivel pulley assembly that is pivotally attached to a sleeve. This sleeve is linearly adjustable along a column enabling a user to engage a handle assembly at different starting positions for different exercises. The pivotally attached swivel pulley on the linearly adjustable sleeve allows the handle assembly to be pressed or pulled in multiple planes thus accommodating different sized users with different flexibilities and different training goals.
Typically, a weight stack provides the resistance for these adjustable cable columns. In order for the cable to maintain constant tension during the linear adjustment of a cable end along with a handle assembly, the cable is formed into a loop wherein each end of the cable is directed towards the linearly adjustable sleeve from opposite directions. One end of the cable is routed over at least one pulley on a swivel pulley assembly which is pivotally attached to a sleeve as previously described. The other end of the cable is also either tied into the same linearly adjustable sleeve or either routed over a second swivel pulley assembly which is pivotally attached to the same linearly adjustable sleeve. This same cable is also routed around one or two pulleys on top of the weight stack. When one or both ends of the cable assembly is pressed or pulled, the closed loop shortens, therefore lifting the selected weights in the weight stack and therefore providing resistance to the user.
The cable end of some adjustable cable columns are interconnected with the weight stack wherein a 4 to 1 mechanical advantage is provided to the user when one cable end is pressed or pulled. For example, if the adjustable cable column has a 200 lb weight stack and all 200 lbs are selected, pressing or pulling one cable end will provide 50 lbs of resistance. This is an advantage because the cable end can be pressed or pulled a long distance before the top of the weight stack will run out of upward travel distance. This allows the user to perform many functional training exercises that require long distance pressing or pulling and light weight resistance. This is a disadvantage if the user wants to perform strength training exercises that require shorter distance pressing or pulling and heavier weight resistance. An adjustable cable column could be made with a heavier weight stack such as 400 lbs but this would greatly increase the cost of the exercise machine.
The cable end of some adjustable cable columns are interconnected with the weight stack wherein a 2 to 1 mechanical advantage is provided to the user when one cable end is pressed or pulled. For example, if the adjustable cable column has a 200 lb weight stack and all 200 lbs are selected, pressing or pulling one cable end will provide 100 lbs of resistance. This 2 to 1 mechanical advantage does not allow as much cable end travel as the 4 to 1 mechanical advantage does because of the exercise machine height restrictions of the upward travel of the weight stack. The 2 to 1 ratio is an advantage if the user wants to perform strength training exercises that require shorter distance pressing or pulling and heavier weight resistance. The 2 to 1 ratio is a disadvantage if the user wants to perform some functional training exercises that require long distance pressing or pulling and light weight resistance.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/046,034 filed Mar. 11, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,654,942, wherein Roger Batca is the inventor, teaches an exercise apparatus that includes one flexible connecting system that includes at least two flexible line ends that are linearly adjustable and which provide multiple resistance ratios for functional and strength training.
A second type of exercise machine for performing functional training exercise is called a functional trainer. A functional trainer typically has two adjustable arm assemblies that have a cable end exiting the distal end of each arm. A handle can be attached to each cable end on each arm and be pressed or pulled by a user. Each cable end is interconnected with a weight stack. Each cable end typically is routed over at least one pulley at the adjustable arm assembly's distal end. This pulley at the distal end of the adjustable arm assembly is typically pivotally attached to allow the handle to be pressed or pulled in multiple planes. The ability to press or pull in multiple planes and to engage a handle in selectively different starting positions accommodates different sized users with different flexibilities and different training goals.
Typically, one weight stack provides the resistance for these functional trainers. The cable end of the first adjustable arm assembly and the cable end of the second adjustable arm assembly are connected to the weight stack. The two cable ends of some functional trainers are interconnected with the weight stack wherein a 4 to 1 mechanical advantage is provided to the user when one cable end is pressed or pulled. For example, if the functional trainer has a 200 lb weight stack, pressing or pulling one cable end will provide 50 lbs of resistance. This is an advantage because the cable end can be pressed or pulled a long distance before the top of the weight stack will run out of upward travel distance. This allows the user to perform many functional training exercises that require long distance pressing or pulling and light weight resistance. This is a disadvantage if the user wants to perform strength training exercises that require shorter distance pressing or pulling and heavier weight resistance. A functional trainer could be made with a heavier weight stack such as 400 lbs but this would greatly increase the cost of the exercise machine.
The two cable ends of some functional trainers are interconnected with the weight stack wherein a 2 to 1 mechanical advantage is provided to the user when one cable end is pressed or pulled. For example, if the functional trainer has a 200 lb weight stack, pressing or pulling one cable end will provide 100 lbs of resistance. This 2 to 1 mechanical advantage does not allow as much cable end travel as the 4 to 1 mechanical advantage does because of the exercise machine height restrictions of the upward travel of the weight stack. The 2 to 1 ratio is an advantage if the user wants to perform strength training exercises that require shorter distance pressing or pulling and heavier weight resistance. The 2 to 1 ratio is a disadvantage if the user wants to perform some functional training exercises that require long distance pressing or pulling and light weight resistance.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/019,174 filed Jan. 24, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,926, wherein Roger Batca is the inventor, teaches an exercise apparatus that includes one flexible connecting system that includes at least two flexible line ends that are pivotally adjustable and which provide multiple resistance ratios for functional and strength training.
An exercise apparatus that includes one flexible connecting system that includes at least two flexible line ends that are linearly and pivotally adjustable and which provide multiple resistance ratios for functional and strength training would allow additional starting points of engagement with a handle and provide more exercise versatility for a user.